The Lost Pack (Paige) novel Chapter 2

**Poppy’s POV **

After the tree of death tried to kill me, we head back into the clinic for breakfast. Jake leaves to check on his patients, promising to catch up with us soon. I want to tell him no, that I need him with me, but that will only worry him and Leo.

I feel fine; the chill I had last night has gone, and I’m steady on my feet now. But there’s this unease crawling under my skin that I can’t explain. All I know is it seems to be calmer when I have both Leo and Jake nearby. I guess this is the pull of the mate bond at work.

I pop bread into the toaster whilst Leo prepares coffee. He’s been quiet since we came back inside. He’s not usually a man of many words, but this feels different. I can see the tension he’s carrying in his shoulders and feel the wariness through the bond.

“Are you okay?” I ask leaning against the counter.

He doesn’t answer straight away; instead, he lets out a slow breath before turning to face me, his arms crossing over his chest. His gaze slides over me, lingering a second too long on the fresh mark on my neck.

“I thought…” he trails off, running a hand over his face. “I thought once we were officially mated that things would be different. That I’d worry less, but it’s been the opposite.”

His admission hits hard, and my eyes threaten to fill. This is such a huge thing for him, a moment he’s been waiting for his whole life, and I’m ruining it. I’m failing him.

“Leo, I’m sor…”

“No,” he cuts me off. “Don’t you dare apologise.”

The words are firm, but not harsh. His gaze softens as he steps closer, uncrossing his arms as if he’s making a conscious choice to reach for me instead of shutting down.

“This isn’t you failing anything,” he says quietly. “It’s just me… adjusting.”

I frown slightly. “Adjusting to what?”

“To having something to lose.”

That lands somewhere deep in my chest.

Leo exhales slowly, his hand lifting before he seems to think better of it, then he doesn’t. He cups my jaw gently, his thumb brushing along my cheek in a way that feels grounding rather than possessive.

“I’ve spent my whole life knowing what I am, what I’m meant to do. Protect. Fight. Survive,” he says. “I’d meet my mate, have a pup or two, and it would be simple. I didn’t prepare for this.”

“This?” I echo softly.

“You,” he corrects.

My breath catches.

“You matter,” he continues, his voice quieter now. “More than anything I’ve ever had. So yeah, I’m going to worry. Probably more now than before.”

My throat tightens.

“That doesn’t mean I regret it,” he adds quickly, his eyes hardening as if he needs me to understand this part. “Not for a

second. I’d choose you every time, Poppy. Even knowing I’d be standing there again, watching a tree nearly take you out.”

A small, shaky laugh escapes me.

“Good,” I murmur, because it’s all I can manage without my voice completely giving out.

His thumb brushes under my eye, catching the moisture there before it can fall.

“You’re not breaking anything,” he says softly. “You’re just changing things, and we’ll figure it out. Together.”

The words settle into me, warm and steady. I nod, leaning into his touch for a second before pulling back, needing to move before I get completely overwhelmed.

“Right,” I say, clearing my throat. “Food. Before I pass out, and you panic.”

His mouth twitches slightly. “I don’t panic.”

I raise a brow at him. “You tackled me to the ground.”

“That was tactical.”

“Sure it was.”

The tension eases, just a little. I turn back to the counter, pulling the toast out as it pops up. My appetite isn’t great, but I force myself to butter a slice, taking a small bite just to prove a point.

It tastes like cardboard, but I chew it anyway. Leo watches me for a second, like he’s making sure I’m actually eating, before turning back to pour the coffee. We fall into a quiet rhythm after that. After a few minutes, I glance toward the door.

“Where’s Jake?” I ask.

“He said he’d join us,” he shrugs.

“He said that ten minutes ago.”

Leo doesn’t answer, but I feel the shift through the bond. He’s concerned. Which is kind of sweet.

“Come on,” I say, setting the toast down. “Let’s go find him before he decides to adopt another patient.”

We step out into the corridor together, heading towards the room we’d seen him go into. “Hey,” I call as we spot Jake’s assistant leaving the room opposite. “Have you seen Jake?” She looks up, relief flickering across her face as if she’s glad it’s not another emergency.

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